Why Coupon?

The picture above are items purchased at Wal-Mart. All items = FREE! That's right...F..R..E..E! I had $1.00 off coupons for each of the items pictured and when you purchase the smallest size or least expensive item...you can often find FREE deals! Okay...some of you are excited and some of you are thinking- Why does she need that many liners and soaps?! Well, my advice is to stock up when you can get items for free or close to free. I don't clear the shelves, but I do get enough to stockpile until the next free item comes along. My girls will go through the Johnson soap pretty quickly and it's a great item to put in gift baskets for friends and family. The panty liners...I hate paying for those things! They will all be used and kept at home this time.

Why coupon? Why not? Okay, I have to admit couponing did not come naturally to me. What I mean by that...I was a little embarassed, felt bad for the people behind me in line, and was easily frustrated when the "deals" I thought I was getting didn't work once I was at the register. There is a bit of a "game" that you have to play when you coupon. I have to say, the embarassment part is GONE! Once I started getting amazing deals...I got over it really quickly. It took about one month. I think of my coupons as cash now. Would I walk by a dollar bill laying on the floor? NO WAY! Many coupons have values of $1.00. I'm crazy if I don't use it! I now have a bag that is big enough to carry my coupon binder with me. Sometimes, people look at me like I'm a crazy coupon lady...but I just ignore them. My kids call me the "Coupon Queen". I prefer to think of myself that way. You have to get over the embarassment part of couponing and just realize you are Cool 2 Clip! You're saving money and in this economy...that is REALLY COOL! I have to admit, I still feel sorry for the people stuck behind me in checkout lines. I usually make a joke of it and start a conversation with them. Time is valuable and I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable making the people behind me wait while my coupons are scanned. When my $84.00 bill gets down to $14.00, it sure helps with the embarassment of making people wait. Really, most people don't mind. Stay strong...and remember it's FREE MONEY!

You can't afford not to follow Cool 2 Clip. I will do my best to fill you in on all of the "tricks of couponing". I also frequently search other blogs and will find the most user-friendly information and provide the links to them on Cool 2 Clip. It will save you the time of hopping from blog to blog, trying to find the best deals. It will already be done for you. MAJOR TIME SAVER! I already keep up with many deal sites and I have received permission to pass the deals along to you. Score!

Growing up, I don't recall coupons being used. My dad always loved a good deal and would stock up when he found one. With 4 kids and 2 working parents, I'm sure it was just one more thing for my parents to do at the time. I do think that the internet has made couponing even easier for those of us attempting it now. I hope that you're excited and ready to try it!

If you find that you have excess items after couponing...donate. I donate items all the time. I work with children and many of them need the additional items we can pick up for little or nothing. Broaden your thought to outside your home. If you have additional money and don't see a need for it in your home, use couponing to make a difference in the lives of others. Donate items to food pantries, abuse shelters, homeless shelters, schools, dog pounds, etc. Somebody needs it. The only thing it will cost you is your time. Make a difference!

Remember...it's Cool 2 Clip!  Pass it on!